BILL ANALYSIS
SB 556
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 556 (Wiggins)
As Amended September 4, 2007
2/3 vote. Urgency
SENATE VOTE :35-1
AGRICULTURE 8-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Parra, La Malfa, |Ayes:|Leno, Walters, Caballero, |
| |Berryhill, Dymally, | |Davis, DeSaulnier, |
| |Fuller, Galgiani, Jones, | |Emmerson, Huffman, |
| |Mendoza | |Karnette, Krekorian, La |
| | | |Malfa, Lieu, Ma, |
| | | |Nakanishi, Nava, Sharon |
| | | |Runner, Solorio, De Leon |
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SUMMARY : Creates, until January 1, 2010, the Light Brown Apple
Moth (LBAM) Program (program) within the California Department
of Food and Agriculture (CDFA); creates an account within the
food and agriculture fund, and provides those funds shall be
available for expenditure without regard to fiscal year; permits
CDFA to allocate funding for local assistance to agencies
designated by a county board of supervisors; requires CDFA to
annually review the progress made by each local agency in
eradicating LBAM, and make recommendations, as needed, to
improve individual local agency eradication efforts; requires an
annual legislative report to be submitted on January 10,
beginning in 2008; requires eradication activities conducted
pursuant to this bill to comply with all applicable laws, and be
conducted in an environmentally responsible manner; makes
legislative findings and declarations; and, contains an urgency
clause.
EXISTING LAW authorizes CDFA to create quarantine areas and
develop eradication programs to combat invasive plants, diseases
and pests. (Food and Agricultural Division 4, commencing with
5001) Requires an environmental assessment on any activity
that could have an adverse impact on native plants or animals.
(Public Resources Code Division 13, commencing with 21000)
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
SB 556
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Committee, there are potential moderate costs in the range of
$300,000 annually, beginning in 2007-08, to CDFA for the
administration of the LBAM program.
COMMENTS : This bill is patterned after the Pierce's
Disease/Glassy Winged Sharpshooter program, which was enacted
several years ago in response to the pest's introduction and
threat to the state's wine grape and table grape industry.
Exotic pests and diseases create environmental and financial
havoc, not only to California's agricultural industry, but to
the environment, as well. Due to increased global travel,
relaxed federal inspections at ports of entry, and lack of
funding for agricultural inspection stations, California has
battled exotic pests and diseases with an increasing frequency.
CDFA, in collaboration with county agricultural commissioners,
inspects products and shipments entering the state, but due to
the increasing volume and limited financial resources, not all
products and shipments can be inspected. State quarantine
programs are coordinated with the United States Department of
Agriculture, which has recently acted to restrict the interstate
movement of nursery stock, cut flowers and greenery from
affected California counties, and the State of Hawaii. When
LBAM was discovered in the Bay area in March 2007, it became the
newest pest to make its way into our state. Due to this
discovery and quarantine, both Canada and Mexico have prohibited
certain shipments of flowers, fruits and other products within
the quarantine zones and require inspections and phytosanitary
certifications to accompany a variety of products from
non-quarantine areas within California. LBAM has already caused
significant economic harm to agricultural producers within the
quarantine areas, as well as added costs and new regulatory
pressures to all California producers who grow potential LBAM
host commodities. There are approximately 250 types of
vegetables, fruit, flowers and various ornamental plants that
are affected by this pest. LBAM destroys, stunts or deforms
young seedlings, spoils the appearance of ornamental plants, and
injures deciduous fruit tree crops, citrus, and grapes.
Analysis Prepared by : Dawn Clover / AGRI. / (916) 319-2084
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FN: 0002810